Keep watching the skies. That's the message from a German hacker group which reportedly plans to launch a satellite network to host an alternative Internet in the event of terrestrial disaster.
To be fair, Armin Bauer, Andreas Hornig, and "hadez" (that's what he's called) represent what might be described as the "white hat" hacker community -- purportedly, at least. The "Hacker Space Program" idea sprang from a meeting of Chaos Computer Club. We've met the group before. It's the forum where super-hacker Karsten Nohl reveals the various ways in which telecommunications traffic can be breached. The Club also uncovered illegal attempts at computer surveillance by the German government.
These hackers, in other words, are not necessarily evil. But a hacker space network might still be a bad idea.
The plan does not actually involve shooting rockets. Rather, it envisions a "Hackerspace Global Grid" which will enable better tracking of amateur satellites, typically launched by balloon. According to Bauer, the plan reverses standard GPS technology:
GPS uses satellites to calculate where we are, and this tells us where the satellites are. We would use GPS co-ordinates but also improve on them by using fixed sites in precisely-known locations.
One of the ostensible aims of the scheme is to put in place a network which could function in the event of natural or economic disaster befalling the earthbound Internet. Another aim, however -- and one suspects it's close to the hacktivists' hearts -- is to establish a network which is in principle beyond censorship.
The theory is that the satellites would float beyond the reach of legal jurisdiction. As it happens, it's by no means clear that this is true, with even parts of international airspace governed by international agreements, and no clear legal distinction between airspace and outer space. In practice, there doesn't seem to be much to stop anyone shooting the satellites down.
In any case, if the scheme is viable, we have to ask ourselves how attractive it is. There seems to be no reason the grid would not be used to enable cybercrime, especially piracy, and perhaps even terrorism. Despite justifiable concerns about government interference, the Internet as we know it remains a remarkably unregulated, out-of-control network, to say nothing of the "darknet," which lurks below the surface.
The only reason I can see to welcome a wholesale alternative, reflecting the idealistic libertarian instincts of the Chaos guys, would indeed be the possibility that it might substitute for the World Wide Web if it collapsed. I'm just not sure I have that much faith in little balloons.
Kim, did the group mention anything about their Space-Net being accessable by the public in general, or will it be reserved for VIP users only? Also, was there any mention of keeping it commercial or advertising free?
Kim, thank you for a wonderful post. It is pretty symbolic, isn't it. An alternative space is in an alternative space. The Internet is something like the space by itself.
I agree, Anand, about the logistical problems. The ground grid the German hacktivists are working on might be a nice tool - or toy - but the notion of people launching countless independent satellites is a reach. Most countries aren't going to tolerate them in their air space anyway.
Despite the obvious criminal potential, I'm amused by how an alternative Internet idea is really running with the whole original idea of uninterrupted communications. After all, the Internet was designed to allow communications even in the face of a nuclear strike wiping out entire cities -- and an alternative Internet could also be used for the very same purposes in case of rulers like Mubarak.
The more I think about it, the more possible the idea of using an alternate Internet becomes and this means we should probably put some thought towards it now.
You beat me to it Michael. I was going to bring up the Amateur radio sats. I just got my tech rating myself.
Another interesting program is the whole CubeSat CubeSat trend that is beginning to emerge. I've seen projections putting personal satellites in very affordable ranges as more commercial launch systems come online (Particularly if they were launched from a plane). Like a few thousand dollars for your own little sat.
With electronics continuing to miniaturize, it's entirely feasible that we could construct an alternative (alternate!) com network. Given that solar flares do happen, backups are always nice.
I found the internet over radio stuff to be particularly interesting. You can text someone in egypt through the radio waves.
Another interesting thing that is very uncommon in north america but I've encountered numerous times in Brazil is Radio Internet. Instead of cable or DSL they get their internet over the radio
The amateur infrastructure is already in place -- has been for years. We were relaying phone calls from soldiers in Vietnam to their families in the 60s. We were doing the same in Haiti.
Each year we have what are called field days. We run simulated emergencies where the infrastructure is completely off line. I am able to run indefinitely via solar panels, batteries, and generators.
The next link is to our packet network in MN. It will transfer data around the state, even if the infrastructure is completely down:
While I too remain skeptical about the potential for an alternative Internet of any kind, I recall that at one point no one thought the Arpanet would evolve into the World Wide Web.
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